Pina Colada Espada
by KaiBlueOtaku
Summary: Grimmjow is coerced into coming on a vacation with Orihime, Ulquiorra, Gin, Matsumoto, and Hallibel. But forced into close quarters, things are becoming awkward (and strangely exciting), between him and Hallibel. (Third in a series, see A/N's) DOMINANT Hallibel/ SUBMISSIVE Grimmjow, UlquiHime, GinxRangiku. Rated M for Lime (and implied lemon) in later chapters, language, A/B/O
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Bleach and all its characters are owned by the talented Tite Kubo. I own only my story, and am merely borrowing them to tell it. I receive no payment for my writing.

A/N: This story is the third in a series. The first is Resolution, which is found in a "scrubbed" version on this site, and has had the Lemon content edited and reduced to heavy Lime. (There is also an unedited, full Lemon version available on Adult-Fanfiction, which is an 18+ site, under the same story title and author pen-name of KaiBlueOtaku) The second story in the series, Urahara's Arrancar Rehabilitation Center, is a two-shot found only on this site at this time. Since this is the third story in the series, if you do not read the first two, this one may not make much sense.

This is only the first chapter; since there will be more to come, the warnings I have listed are primarily in regards to later chapters. These characters may seem very OOC, but this intentional character development, which you will need to read the other stores to fully understand. I felt that Grimmjow got a raw deal, and in his final battle with Ichigo, I glimpsed a shred of something more in him. I chose to pursue that here.

This is a "Scrubbed" version of this story, which means the graphic degree of the Lemon has been reduced to heavy Lime, to comply with the regulations for this site. The unedited, full Lemon version of this story may be found on the Adult-Fanfiction site, under the same story title and author pen name of KaiBlueOtaku. Thank you for reading, I treasure every review and rating I receive. Please enjoy.

WWWWWWWWWW

"Um… What are you doing over Spring Break, Grimmjow?"

"Ne? Spring Break?" Grimmjow shielded the sun from his ice-blue eyes with the Guitar Universe magazine he had been reading. He leaned back in the lawn chair, staring up at the well-endowed figure of his housemate, Orihime Inoue. She seemed anxious, twisting a strand of her ginger hair nervously between her fingers. "Why do you ask?"

"Well… I won some tickets on a radio contest, for a vacation to the beach. I have an extra ticket, and I thought that…Maybe you would want to come along."

"What about Kurosaki? Or Ishida?" Grimmjow asked her. He wasn't exactly sure what 'vacation' meant, but this already sounded like a hassle.

Orihime glanced downward timidly. "Well, I did ask them… They already have plans. It seems they agreed to help Kurosaki-kun's father with some remodeling to the clinic. Kuchiki-san too." She looked up at him sadly. "I just thought, that after all the hard work that Urahara-san has been putting you through with your rehabilitation, that maybe you would enjoy some time off."

Ulquiorra walked out onto the back patio, a glass of lemonade in one hand, the other stuffed deeply in the pocket of his jeans. "Onna, I believe the phone was ringing inside," he told her.

"OH! Thank you!" She blew past him, pausing for a moment to plant a kiss on his cheek as she rushed inside.

Ulquiorra watched her disappear inside, until she was out of earshot. "Tell her you will go on the 'vacation,'" Ulquiorra told Grimmjow quietly, taking a long, slow pull from his drink, the ice cubes tinkling musically in his glass.

"Why?" Grimmjow snapped irritably.

Ulquiorra pinned the former Sexta under his intense, emerald gaze. "Because the others have plans. Because she was kind enough to invite you. And because you owe us for letting you stay here rent-free." Grimmjow scowled, but Ulquiorra's reasoning was unshakeable, and left no room for discussion. "It will make her happy. When she is happy, I am happy. Surely, you do not wish to displease me, while living under our roof."

Grimmjow sighed, running his fingers through his spiky blue hair, sighing. "Alright, dammit. I'll go," he conceded.

"Sound happy about it when you tell her," Ulquiorra threatened. "I am not overly pleased myself at this human idea of a 'vacation,' whatever it entails. But apparently, it is what they do, and we are trying to fit in." He took a sip from his lemonade as Orihime returned out the back door, joining them on the patio.

"Ulqui-kun, are you sure it was the phone?" she asked. "I didn't hear it, and there were no messages."

"Perhaps I was mistaken," he told her, glaring significantly at Grimmjow from behind a wisp of mid-length, raven black hair.

Grimmjow realized that his host had graciously told a white lie to his girlfriend, in order to get the two of them alone for long enough to discuss the terms of Grimmjow's 'surrender' to this vacation, without upsetting her. He was slightly touched by this thoughtful gesture on Ulquiorra's part, to make his girlfriend happy. _What is it with you, Ulquiorra? _he sighed to himself. _Why does it always seem like I'm helping you in some way with your woman?_

"Orihime?" Grimmjow leaned forward, folding his magazine in half and laying it on his knee. "I would be honored to go with you and Ulquiorra on vacation."

The blue-haired man grimaced and blanched as an ecstatic Orihime flung her arms around his neck in a happy hug. "Oh, thank you, Grimmjow!" she gushed. "We're going to have so much fun, I promise!"

He looked pleadingly to Ulquiorra for help, but the other man only turned back toward the house, hiding the merest shadow of a sadistically amused grin in his glass of lemonade.

WWWWWWWWWW

"Why is the van so huge? And do we really need all this shit?" Grimmjow grumbled as Ulquiorra crammed yet another duffel bag in the back of the rental vehicle.

Ulquiorra sighed, closing his eyes, his face pinched in slight irritation. "The Onna seems to think so, and you or I wouldn't know, so we will take her word for it." He shouldered into the bag, grunting slightly. They both froze and stared at each other as they heard a loud 'POP' emit from somewhere in the mountain of luggage. Ulquiorra slowly backed away, and pushed the hatch closed.

"Okay, I'm ready!"

The two Ex-Espada turned to see Orihime sprinting lightly down the brick pathway from the house to the street. Her long yellow sun-dress whipped around her shapely legs as she ran, and one hand held her white, wide brimmed sun hat in place. The red ribbon around the hat band flickered behind her, trailing in the wind. Grimmjow did not miss the hungry look that Ulquiorra gave her as she came to the vehicle. He wrapped his arm around her waist, kissing her lips a little harder than was perhaps warranted on a public street, and leaned in to whisper something in her ear as his hand snaked down to firmly squeeze her round backside through the flowing yellow fabric.

_"Ulquiorra!" _she squealed, scandalized, swatting his hand away playfully as she glanced over at Grimmjow with embarrassment.

For his part, Grimmjow was every bit as embarrassed as she was, and took pains to focus his gaze elsewhere as Ulquiorra glared at him with a possessiveness that bordered on predatory, as if staking his claim with this display, silently affirming, _Don't get any ideas about who she belongs to…_

Ulquiorra, always the gentleman (except for the rare occasion when he was being a horny exhibitionist, apparently), opened the door for Orihime and let her into the passenger's side of the van. Grimmjow clambered into the far back and sprawled out comfortably. He pulled out his music, plugged in his headphones, and shut his eyes, settling in for a long ride.

It wasn't long before he sensed someone close in his space, and felt something tickling his neck. He opened his eyes to find a huge set of breasts shoved near his face. "What the hell?!" he screamed.

"Oh, I'm just trying to get my bag settled," Rangiku Matsumoto told him, reaching over his head, trying to add her duffel bag to the pile behind his seat. Grimmjow swatted her long, blonde hair out of his mouth, spluttering. "Dammit Rangiku! Git yet tits outta my face! I will fix your freaking bag!"

"Aww,, thanks, Grimmjow!" she said, pulling back and pinching his cheek annoyingly as if he were a child. She dropped her bag with a painful thump into his lap. As she settled herself into the center row of seats, Grimmjow spied the unmistakable short white hair of Gin Ichimaru sitting on the other side of her.

Gin grinned and gave a lame wave. "Hey there Grimmjow. How's it going?"

"Better now that your girlfriend's rack isn't stuffed up my nose," he muttered to the luggage as he turned around in his seat to secure her bag. Once he was finished, he flung himself overdramatically into his seat, stretching out again to get comfortable as he sank back into darkness and music.

They got underway again, but soon Grimmjow was overcome with a feeling of unease. He opened his eyes to be met with sea-green orbs, regarding him intently from behind a messy shock of sun bleached blonde hair. The sandy tone of the darkly tanned skin seemed lost to Grimmjow as he submerged into the oceanic depths of those eyes, paralyzed, feeling unable to draw breath.

"Move over."

The calm, commanding voice of Tia Hallibel shook Grimmjow from his hypnosis, and he scrambled to accommodate her. She slid lithely into her seat, securing the safety restraint as the vehicle started on its way again. Grimmjow swallowed hard, and inched away from the former Tres, who lounged easily beside him. He pulled his knees up and attempted to listen to his music, intently focusing on his breathing, trying to calm himself.

He couldn't understand why he'd been feeling this way lately around Hallibel. He knew he had the hots for her, but recently, things seemed… Different. More intense for him. It was maddening to Grimmjow, who was usually so arrogant and self-assured, that whenever _she _came around, he found himself reduced to an anxious, fumbling mess.

He tipped his head back, closing his eyes as he struggled internally, feeling his Reitsu flaring wildly out of control with her seated so near to him.

Unexpectedly, he felt a powerful Spiritual Pressure reach out to him. A hot, golden Reitsu pushed tentatively against his, initially causing him sense of panic. He shoved back harshly against it, but it bore down with a calm, steady pressure, unyielding to his attack. He felt it slide up against him, so warm and strangely comforting. It made him feel like a cat, lazing in a warm patch of sunlight, shining its rays through a window on a late spring day. His breath caught in his throat, and he felt trapped between the simultaneous urge to either purr aloud, or suffocate on the spot.

He opened his eyes and glanced around covertly, wondering who could be the source of the deliciously sensual power that was washing over him. Sitting next to him, Hallibel regarded Grimmjow with a cool, sidelong look through a half-lidded eye. He completely discounted her; he knew what Hallibel's Reitsu felt like, and this was much, much different than anything he had ever felt before. The Reitsu pressed down on him, like a blanket, smothering the wild flaring of his own Spiritual Pressure, soothing and quieting him instantly. He let out a tremulous sigh, lolling his head back and struggling to keep his eyes open as the strong, warm power lapped at his ragged soul with a slow, easy rhythm. He slipped into an ecstatic torpor, unable to keep his eyes open any longer, giving himself over to the pleasure coursing through his veins. His eyes were closed, or he might have caught a glimmer of the heat that was smoldering there in the depths of those two green pools. Hallibel gave the faintest smirk of satisfaction before she allowed herself to close her own eyes and drift into a deep, quiet meditation.

WWWWWWWWWW

When they arrived at the resort, Orihime checked them in while Gin and Grimmjow busied themselves unloading the van onto a luggage cart. Grimmjow fiddled obsessively with the bags, situating them and restacking them repeatedly as Ulquiorra parked the vehicle in a nearby lot. Grimmjow was doing anything he could to keep himself busy, and his mind off the strange, erotic Reitsu that had pressed down on him earlier during the drive over. He was starting to get paranoid, thinking maybe it had just been his imagination, or a dream he'd had.

Orihime seemed to be taking over-long at the check-in desk, and Grimmjow was becoming impatient. He stalked over to see what the holdup was.

"I'm sorry, miss, but your reservations are non-negotiable," the young man at the desk was telling her. "If you'd like to purchase an additional room for the nights of your stay, I can see what's available. But as it stands now, your reservations are for the three, single queen rooms."

Hallibel stood at a distance, watching the scene unfold. As Ulquiorra came back from the parking lot, she caught his eye and called him over with a small jerk of her head. He gave her an inquisitive look as he came over. In answer, she nodded almost imperceptivity, indicating Grimmjow, and licked her lips. Ulquiorra's eyes widened and he glanced dubiously over at the blue-haired man standing at the counter next to Orihime. Hallibel gave Ulquiorra's Reitsu a playful nudge with her own, and nodded toward Grimmjow.

Ulquiorra looked skeptical, but reluctantly turned toward Grimmjow. He pressed him with a heavy, commanding Reitsu of Dominance. The effect was immediate.

Grimmjow froze, nervous eyes darting around, searching for the source of the unfamiliar energy. This was not like the other power he had sensed earlier. This was dark, uncomfortable and heavy. It was alarming to him, and he began to panic. He didn't want anything to do with this energy, and whatever, or whoever, was the owner of it.

Hallibel reached her hand out a laid it on Ulquiorra's arm then, signaling that was enough. As he stopped, Hallibel stepped forward and reached out to Grimmjow with her strong, warm energy, blanketing him again in it.

He visibly melted, the foreign power gone and only the soft comfort of this new, yet almost familiar, Reitsu remained. He was instantly at ease, slumping into the counter slightly as he struggled to keep his feet. He took a deep breath and they watched him as he settled into it, unable to do anything much else but submit to the Reitsu that washed over him, just as unstoppable to him as the waves lapping at the sand.

Matsumoto leaned toward Gin, whispering to him behind her hand. "Uh-oh… Look." His eyes followed hers, and he spotted Hallibel watching Grimmjow with a fierce intensity. "I've seen _that _look before," Matsumoto tittered, bumping her hip playfully into Gin's as she gave him a coy smile.

"This could be an interesting trip…" Gin murmured back with an amused snicker.

Hallibel strode up behind Grimmjow and Orihime, to listen in on the conversation.

"I don't have the money to pay for an extra room for a whole three nights though," Orihime was saying. "Are you sure we can't trade one of the single queen rooms for a double twin, or something?"

"Grimmjow will stay with me," Hallibel said with finality. Grimmjow turned and stared at her, eyes wide. She saw him swallow the lump in his throat.

"Are you sure, Hallibel-san?" Orihime asked. She was hesitant, but the undertone of her voice was hopeful.

"Of course. We endured worse conditions in Las Noches. It is the least we can do, to express our gratitude to you for your generosity in inviting us along."

Orihime's face brightened. "Oh, that would be great! What a relief. Is that going to be ok with you, Grimmjow?"

Orihime had addressed the question to the Sexta, but as he opened his mouth to protest, Hallibel over spoke him. "It will be fine. Isn't that right, Grimmjow?" She gave him a withering glare, and he suddenly felt like a dog that had been scolded by his master. If he'd had a tail, he would have tucked it between his legs and slunk to her feet, ears back, begging forgiveness. Instead, he just muttered something affirmative, and tolerated Orihime's thankful hug, keeping his eyes averted.

He scowled all the way to the room, huffing angrily as he stormed ahead of the others. He tried the handle of the door, but it was locked. He let out a small roar of frustration, and kicked it. Then, he felt eyes on him, and he looked up to see Hallibel standing _too close _for comfort, at his right shoulder. He stared at her for the longest time, eyes locked, hatred seething through him. _She is so damn pushy, _he glowered.

She glared back at him, her eyes unwavering as Ulquiorra and Orihime passed them in the hallway. Hallibel could see them out of her peripheral vision. "Is everything ok?" Orihime asked worriedly.

Ulquiorra laid his hand on her arm, ushering her away. She didn't understand what was going on here, he knew, and he gave a knowing nod to the Tres as they passed, as if to say, _Carry on._

"Everything's fine," Hallibel told the woman without taking her eyes off Grimmjow. "We're just working some things out."

Something about her tone of voice made Grimmjow uneasy. He finally stepped back, letting out a roar of fury and defeat, slamming his open palm into the doorframe, and she smiled in victory, pulling the key card from her pocket and swiping it in the lock. Grimmjow hoisted his bag but she stopped in the doorway, blocking him, and stared him down again as she passed through the doorway first. As the door swung closed, he shoved it open and slammed it behind him.

"You are such a bitch," he hissed at her, stalking up behind her in a boiling rage, sure he was going to hit her.

She glanced back at him over her shoulder at him though, and the look stopped him cold. Somehow, he had gone from furious to aroused in the blink of an eye, and he turned away from her in embarrassment.

"What was that?" she asked him coolly.

"Nothing," he mumbled, keeping his back to her as he set his bag on the counter, digging around in it aimlessly just to give himself something to do, and keep himself from having to look at her. He didn't have a clue what was going on. First he wanted to punch her, then he wanted to tear her clothes off… His head was spinning. She always seemed so collected, and it was irritating to Grimmjow, who had such a short fuse about everything.

He was in a bad mood the rest of the evening. Even though he tried to participate in the dinner conversation, he was feeling excluded and left out. He excused himself early, making a lame excuse of being tired, and went back to the room, crawling into bed.

Grimmjow woke a while later, and was alarmed at the realization that Hallibel was crawling into bed with him. "What the hell, Hallibel?" he whispered, frantic.

"If you have a problem sharing the bed, you can sleep on the couch," she told him icilly.

His rage began to boil over again, and he reached his hands out toward her back in a mockery as if he was going to strangle her. He yanked the comforter off the bed, snatched a pillow, and grumbled over to the couch. Truthfully, it wasn't even a couch; more of a love seat, and certainly much too small for someone of Grimmjow's height to get comfortable on, try though he may. He finally found what he determined to be the 'least uncomfortable' position, and managed to fall into a troubled and restless sleep.

He dreamed of Hallibel. She was wearing a long white kimono, made of thin silk that billowed and trailed behind her in the wind. She was walking through an orchard of cherry trees, all in bloom, and the petals swirled around her magnificently. She strode slowly along, dragging her fingers across the flowers that burst from the trees, making her way to the center of the garden. There was one tree there, much different from the others. This tree was not in bloom, and on its branches hung a single large peach. Hallibel approached the tree and gently stroked the soft fuzz of the fruit, smelling it and examining it closely. "Almost," she whispered, and began to hum a song that Grimmjow found to be hypnotic. He remembered it from the first time he had seen her in the orchard, when she had been sitting before the campfire in the darkness, clutching the chain in the midst of the blue flames.

"Hallibel," he called to her gently. But when she turned, he could see that she was wearing her Espada jacket, and it was unzipped, revealing the broken Hollow mask across her lower face.

WWWWWWWWWW

Grimmjow awoke in a cold sweat, a crick in his neck. _I don't care how mean she is, I'm not spending another night on that couch, _he resolved, rubbing at his shoulder as he stood and stretched. Through the window, he could see the beach in the early morning light. Hallibel was down on the sand, stretching and doing a combination of Tai Chi and Yoga positions. Grimmjow was struck by her poise and grace, and he watched her, a soft, faraway look in his eyes.

She could feel him watching, but she paid him no mind. _Let him be hungry, _she thought, _as I have been, for so long. _When she finally finished her exercises, she looked directly at him and saw him cringe. _He is so weak-willed, _she mused as she toweled the sweat from her face and neck, walking slowly back from the beach. _After all this time, I didn't expect that would be part of the deal. But he's almost ready now. Amazing that it's taken him so long to mature… _He withered under her heavy gaze, and she stalked past him and into the bathroom, turning on the shower water. She hadn't bothered to close the door, and she peeled off her sweaty clothing, well aware of his struggle to keep his eyes off her. _Why will he not submit to me? _she wondered silently, climbing into the hot spray. _Why does he continue to struggle, and fight his natural instinct?_She stretched out her Reitsu of Dominance to him then, stroking him teasingly.

Grimmjow felt like he was losing his mind. Where was this energy coming from? It kept assaulting him, seemingly at random, and as he lay incapacitated on the bed, panting in ecstasy, his thoughts spun. _I want this, _he called out to the heavy, warm Reitsu that pressed down on him, reaching out to it, rubbing against it. He beckoned to it, but it remained steady, and he was becoming frustrated. He felt the straining through his jeans, and, listening for the water that signaled Hallibel was occupied, he gave a soft shudder at the glorious combination of the Reitsu licking his soul, and his skilled fingers against himself. He didn't go after it too vigorously, because he knew Hallibel wouldn't be much longer probably with washing the sweat off from her morning workout. But just a little gentle stroking was helping to release some of the tension that was beginning to build painfully in him.

She could feel him. Oh, yes. He was going to be in trouble. _He should know better than that, _she scolded in her mind as she stepped out of the still-running shower. She sensed that he was too lost in himself to be aware of her presence in the room, and so she went in to watch him, not bothering even to dry off. He was clearly submerged in his pleasure, completely oblivious of the world around him. She wanted badly to go and assist him, but she knew the time wasn't right yet. She would be a lenient mistress, she decided, and allow him this little indiscretion. Things seemed to be progressing much more slowly than she had expected, and while she wondered if the tension-release would be ultimately detrimental to her progress, she decided to allow it. It seemed warranted, somehow, even though it went against her instincts.

She watched him with a smile on her face, and lapped against him with her Reitsu again. He moaned softly, and it sent shivers up her spine. He was positively feline at moments like this, and she saw the way that even the cool touch of the sheets against his bare back was causing him pleasure. She turned back toward the bathroom and just as she passed through the doorway, she gave him a final parting glance.

He looked up at that moment, and froze. The sight of Hallibel, her dark, bare flesh cascading with droplets of water, pausing in the doorway of the bathroom, was too much for him. _She was watching me? _he thought, incredulous. _How long has she been watching me?_ He was suspended briefly somewhere between mortification and desire, when the look in her eyes pushed him over the edge. There was no mistaking it; hunger, and heat, boiling in the depths of those emerald orbs of hers. As she disappeared back into the bathroom, Grimmjow lost his self control with a guttural moan and a gasp. He lay there heaving, and stared warily at the doorway as he heard her shut the water off and busy herself with dressing. _Maybe she's interested after all, _he thought to himself.

WWWWWWWWWW

Matsumoto and Orihime pounced on Hallibel at breakfast. They wanted a "girl's day," and that was going to include shopping. Hallibel cringed internally. She didn't hate shopping in itself, so much as the method with which the two women were known to employ it, which was to say, more as an activity in itself instead of a means to an ends. She reluctantly conceded, feeling that maybe it would do Grimmjow some good to have some space to himself, and stew in it for a while.

As they ran from store to store, the two women seemed oblivious to her internal strife. Hallibel couldn't understand what was going wrong. Grimmjow wasn't responding at all the way she had expected.

But Matsumoto at least had noticed. While Orihime was getting changed in a dressing room, she leaned toward the Tres. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Hallibel shook her head, frustration furrowed on her brown. She didn't need to drag anybody else into this. If she couldn't figure it out on her own, she didn't deserve him.

"Are things not going well with Grimmjow?" Matsumoto asked with a smirk.

Hallibel's face colored. She hadn't realized she'd been so obvious to everyone else in her pursuit. Something in her wanted desperately to confide in the Shinigami; in _anyone _honestly, but Rangiku was the one here in her moment of weakness, and so when the words began to spill out, she didn't think they would stop. "He won't submit to me. I've been trying so hard to lay claim over him, and he's been defiant and rude and unyielding. It's very unbecoming in a mate, but it's almost like he doesn't understand what's going on. He can't be that stupid. I mean, I know it's _Grimmjow _we're talking about here, but still… He's not an idiot. I can sense the time is right. I've waited for so long…" Matsumoto could hear the tears quavering the voice of the Tres, but she let her continue. "I have had him marked for decades, but he was never ready to be claimed. We were together long in the past, and I think it meant nothing to him really then, but I knew. _I knew. _An Alpha always knows her mate, and I knew it was him, but he wasn't ready yet. He wasn't…" Hallibel struggled, looking for the term.

"Ripe?" Matsumoto offered.

Hallibel sighed, relieved that the Shinigami seemed to understand, at least in part. "Yes!" Exasperation was thick in her tone. "But he's conflicted. He wants to submit, but he challenges me at every turn. I know he's almost ready, 'ripe' as you said, because of his response when I press him with my Reitsu of Dominance." Her eyes grew distant as she spoke softly. "It's almost like a piece of fruit. You press it, gentle but firm, and it yields…" She took a shaky breath, and snapped herself back to reality, looking up at the enrapt face of Matsumoto.

"Oh, my!" Matsumoto laughed, fanning herself with her hand. "That's intense! I can't say as I understand all the details, though. What's this business about 'Alphas' and 'dominance?'" She leaned toward Hallibel, and whispered behind her hand. "I'm not judging or anything, but it sounds kinky…"

Hallibel laughed, and shook her head, looking down. "No, not really. It's how Hollows mate. We have no love, so a dominant Hollow that is an Alpha, chooses a submissive consort. I'm an Alpha. It's something predestined, not affected by our Espada ranking. I carried the Alpha signature before I was ever an Espada, maybe even from before I was an Arrancar."

"Hollows… Mate?" Matsumoto was clearly perplexed.

"Well, not for procreation. More for companionship, I suppose," Hallibel confessed. "An Alpha chooses a Beta, or in Grimmjow's case… An Omega." She gave a little delicious shudder. "They're rare, and of great worth, to the right Alpha. That's why I've had him marked for so long. He's worth the wait."

"So, let me see if I'm following this," Matsumoto said, counting the points off on her fingers. "You're an Alpha, he's an Omega. He should be submitting to you, and he's not, but you think he's ready. Does that sound about right?"

Hallibel nodded. "Yes, basically."

Matsumoto laughed lightly. "Oh, dear… Hallibel, I hate to be obvious, but have you thought about the fact that you're not Arrancar anymore?" Hallibel stared blankly. "Oh, sweetheart, you're a _woman _now. You're human. He's a _man. _You can't just force your will on him…" Matsumoto giggled. "Well, you _could, _technically, but I guess that would be rape… Do you have actual feelings for him?

Hallibel's eyes widened. "I…. I don't know. I never thought of that." She stared off for a few moments. "I was always so focused just on the fact that I'd marked him, waiting for him to be ready for me to claim him… And after we were resurrected, I saw the change in him that I'd been waiting _so long for…"_ Her voice was strained with the weight of lonely years spent in solitude. "I had my Fraccion, but it's not the same. It's not the same as having a mate. And much less, knowing you've marked _the one, _and _still _having to wait…" She sighed.

Matsumoto nodded somberly. "I understand. I felt the same about my Gin, only I thought I'd lost him..." Her breath caught in her throat, and her ample chest heaved. She shook her head, shaking the ghosts away. "When I heard about what Urahara was doing with you all, I had to find out if he could bring Gin back as well. Fortunately for me, his Reitsu was twined with my Soul Chain after he died, just like your Grimmjow's was." She pressed her fingers to her lips in thought. "I guess he must be your soul mate then!"

Hallibel cocked her head. "Soul mate?"

"Oh, sure," Orihime agreed brightly as she brought her outfits out the dressing room. "Like me and Ulqui-kun!"

Hallibel's eyes widened. What was this 'soul mate' that they spoke of? "What is it? And how do you know?"

"Well, Urahara-san told me that I was able to bring Ulquiorra back because his soul was not at peace after his death. He was tied to me, his Reitsu wound in my Soul Chain, to keep him anchored from drifting off into nothingness. He wouldn't pass on, and my Rikka sensed that in my sleep, and brought him back."

"I never understood that," Hallibel told the other women as they all walked toward the register to make their purchases. "I mean, I understood how that could have happened with the two of you, and maybe even Grimmjow and I… But why was Grimmjow tied to Ulquiorra?"

The woman looked at one another, then back at the Tres. "He never told you?" Orihime asked, incredulous. Hallibel shook her head in confusion. "He helped to save me from Hueco Mundo. Ulquiorra was losing control to Murcielago, and he knew he was becoming a danger to me. He went to Grimmjow, and asked him to help to protect me. Grimmjow sacrificed himself, basically, to fight Ichigo to the death and help strengthen him, so he could be strong enough to defeat Murcielago. Things went wrong though, and he got sucked into the Koryu. He hadn't finished what he set out to do, or fulfilled the promise he'd made to help protect me"

Hallibel's eyes shimmered. Grimmjow did that? Why had he never told her this? They'd been living at the Urahara Shoten for over a week before she moved out, and she'd been there to visit almost every day since… Why had he never said anything? "That's unbelievable… But why would he do that?"

"Oh, who knows why men do anything," Matsumoto laughed. "This heat is cooking my brains like an egg on the pavement! I think I'm done shopping for the day. I'm ready to get in the water!" she squealed excitedly.

They headed back to the hotel, Hallibel's mind spinning with uncertainty.

WWWWWWWWWW

The men had spent their day down at the cabana on the beach, shooting pool and visiting. Grimmjow and Gin had become quite competitive, and Ulquiorra was satisfied to sit back and watch the two of them finally, because he was only playing to pass the time whereas the two of them seemed to really be enjoying themselves.

Gin came to the bar and took a sip of his soda, shaking the moisture off his fingertips when his turn to shoot came. He leaned in to take a winning shot, but the wetness on his fingers caused him to fumble the cue. He tried to recover, but it got worse somehow, and he ended up cracking himself in the nose with the butt of his cue. He started to bleed profusely, dripping onto his shirt. "Ah, shit," he cursed, snatching a cocktail napkin from the bar and stuffing it to his face as he looked down, disgruntled at his shirt. "Rangiku just bought me this shirt, too. She's going to be pissed if it's ruined. I'd better go try to wash this out. I'll catch up with you guys in a while."

Grimmjow plopped on the stool with the weight of more than just his body, and sipped some orange juice. Ulquiorra glanced over at him, taking in his irritation. "You can finish the game when he returns," Ulquiorra assured the other man, but he was fairly sure that wasn't the cause of his dismay.

A shake of his head confirmed his suspicions. "It's not that." An oppressive heaviness settled on his shoulders.

Ulquiorra weighed his options in his mind. He knew that claiming a mate was personal business, and it would be considered very meddling of him to get involved. But things didn't seem to be going very smoothly between the two of them, and he didn't like seeing Grimmjow like this. It gave him a pained sense of unease, and he wondered if this was the concept of 'friendship' that Urahara had been trying to convey to him in the past few weeks. He hesitantly decided to speak his mind. "Why are you fighting against her?"

Grimmjow gaped at the pale man beside him, but quickly regained his composure. "Sorry. I didn't realize it was so obvious. I mean, aside from that nonsense in the hallway yesterday." Grimmjow swirled the pulp around in the bottom of his glass, watching the particles shift in the shallow liquid remaining. "I like her so much, I really do. But she's been pretty much nothing but a bitch to me since we picked her up at her place yesterday." He flagged down the bartender, indicating a refill was desired.

"How did last night go?" Ulquiorra had a nagging suspicion there was something more here than met the eye, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Fuck…" Grimmjow rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through his blue hair with a sigh. "She told me if I didn't want to share the bed, I could sleep on the couch." The bartender set the glass in front of him and Grimmjow took a sip, making a horrible face. "Ugh, what the hell is this?"

The bartender's eyes widened. "A Screwdriver, isn't that what you were drinking, sir?"

Grimmjow scowled. "Seriously? Who drinks vodka before noon?"

"Today, you do." Ulquiorra dropped a few yen bills on the counter and the bartender shrugged, nodding in thanks. "Drink it. It will help to calm your nerves." He pushed his wallet back in his pocket. "What happened next?"

"I slept on the fucking couch, man! What did you think?" Grimmjow barked. "That I just… Hopped into the bed and laid down and let her have her way with me? She's playing games with my head, and I hate it. One second, she's looking at me like she wants a piece of me, and the next, she's pulling rank. I can't make heads or tails of it."

Ulquiorra eyed him carefully. "Have you been feeling an… Unusual Reitsu lately?" He was beginning to suspect what was going on. The look on Grimmjow's face was a complex mixture of embarrassment and ecstasy, and it answered the question without need for words. "That is her," Ulquiorra told him.

Blue eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Bullshit. I know Hallibel's Reitsu. This is…" He shuddered at the memory.

Ulquiorra leaned closer. "It is her Reitsu of Dominance. You have never felt it before, because it is only used in the process of claiming, and then afterward on one's mate." The green eyed man stared hard, questioning the other. "You know she has marked you, yes?"

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Grimmjow asked, clearly confused.

Ulquiorra sighed. This explained it. She had never made clear to Grimmjow that he had been marked all these years. And with him being an Omega, he probably couldn't have cared less about the political dynamics of Alphas and their hierarchy. He really could be clueless sometimes.

"Hallibel is an Alpha. She has marked you as her mate, but she has been waiting for the right time to claim you. The time has finally come, but…" Ulquiorra paused. "Something is wrong. The claiming is not progressing as it should have. Your Omega instinct should have taken over by now and you should have automatically submitted to her." Ulquiorra sipped his water. "The very fact that I had to have this conversation with you makes it clear that something has gone awry in the natural order of this. Even someone as oblivious as you, should have felt their instinct, and been unable to resist."

Grimmjow was intrigued, and let the subtle jab of being called 'oblivious' pass without addressing it. "So wait… You're saying she's trying to dominate me? Like a dog?"

"Like an Arrancar," Ulquiorra corrected, slight indignation in his tone.

"Is this because she's higher ranking Espada than me?"

Ulquiorra shook his head. "Her Espada ranking had nothing to do with her Alpha signature, just as yours had no bearing on your being an Omega."

Grimmjow's brow furrowed. "I'm dominant," he objected defensively.

"You are insecure, and an asshole." Ulquiorra's uncharacteristic use of language made Grimmjow look sharply at the man. "There _is_ a difference, know that. You play by your own rules. I am not judging you, or saying it is a bad thing. I am merely explaining the facts." Ulquiorra thought for a moment. "Imagine two rams, butting heads over a nearby ewe. The one who wins is the Alpha, the loser is the Beta."

"But you called me an… Omega?" The word was awkward on Grimmjow's tongue.

Ulquiorra nodded. "The Omega is the ram who's been watching from the nearby trees, and darts out to mate with the female while the other two are occupied."

Grimmjow let out a roar of hysterical laughter that was so loud, it turned the heads of almost every person in the cabana, and even some nearby on the beach. He wiped tears from his eyes. "Oh, damn, that's the best joke I've ever heard, Ulquiorra…" He chuckled, settling back down with a grin. "Ok, ok, so when you put it like that, yes, that sounds pretty much like me." He thought for a minute. "So, what, are you an Alpha?"

"Naturally," Ulquiorra said.

"So what is Orihime?"

Ulquiorra opened his mouth, but he realized he didn't have an answer for that. The Onna was… Different. "It is more complicated than that, with her. She is not Arrancar, and thus, feels love. Because she triggered the split in myself, magnetically drawing my void to Murcielago, I was more human than Arrancar when she and I were…" Ulquiorra paused.

"Together?" Grimmjow supplied.

"Yes. When she and I were together, intimately, it repelled the void, and in the emotion that remained, I learned to love as humans do. I did not have a claiming with her, as is traditional when taking a mate, even though I was an Espada still while we found each other. Now, without Murcielago to draw the void to him and create a negative space so to speak, in which my emotions may collect, I still become more intensely connected with her when we are together intimately, but it is not as apparent the rest of the time. I am still myself, molded by my memories and experiences. My personality still retains that quality of myself, and even though because of that, I am not proficient at expressing it, the Onna knows I still experience the emotion of 'love' toward her."

Grimmjow stared in admiration. "You fell in love with her, as a Hollow… That is so impossible. I think that's why I helped you save her, and why Urahara found me tied to your Soul Chain. I wanted that. I wanted what you had with her, so bad, I wasn't willing to die."

A realization dawned over Ulquiorra. "That explains it, then. How simple."

Grimmjow sipped at his drink. "Hn?"

"You resist her because you do not wish to be claimed. Your desire is to be loved."

Those words sent a serenity through his soul, and Grimmjow felt as if the missing piece of everything, of his whole world, had just fallen into place. "Love," he murmured. It all made perfect sense now. Why she'd been acting the way she had been, and why he'd been so angry and hurt by it.

Gin strolled back in, wearing a clean shirt. "What'd I miss?"

Grimmjow looked at Ulquiorra, breaking into uncontrollable laughter, as the black-haired man could only hide a smirk in his water glass. "Okay, so there's these two rams…"


	2. Chapter 2

When Orihime and Matsumoto showed up at the cabana, they were wearing their swim suits already. "Oh boys," Matsumoto called in a teasing sing-song, hand on hip seductively as she beckoned to Gin. She was very nearly busting out of her green string bikini, and a lecherous grin stole across Gin's face when he saw her.

"Wow, babe," he said in admiration, giving her a smack on the backside. She huffed a little at this display, but he only smiled wider. "Oh, c'mon, Rangiku…" He leaned in and spoke softly enough so that only she and their friends could hear. "That was just a one-handed applause of a fine ass…"

A peal of shocked laughter erupted from her. "Oh Gin, you're so naughty!" She grabbed him into a buxom embrace, and everyone was a little uncomfortable for a few moments as they shared an overly passionate kiss.

"Whew!" Matsumoto pulled back at long last with a gasp, giving Gin a coy glance out of the corner of her eye. She fanned herself with her hand. "I need to cool off a bit… Last one in the water is a rotten egg!"

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime, perplexed. "I do not understand the reference."

Orihime giggled. "It's an invitation to a race! You don't want to be the last one in the water! C'mon!" She tugged at his arm and bounded toward the water, chasing after Gin and Matsumoto, her ample chest bouncing and threatening with each stride to burst the seams of her purple one-piece.

Ulquiorra gave Grimmjow a somewhat exasperated look, and followed Orihime, unable to muster nearly the degree of enthusiasm the others had displayed.

Grimmjow was about to return to his drink, when something caught his eye. He turned and hitched a breath as Hallibel seemed to float toward him. She was wearing a sheer white, flowing sarong as a swimsuit cover. The wind gusted and teased at the fabric, causing it to billow behind her, reminding Grimmjow vaguely of his dream from last night. He could make out her swimsuit beneath the sheer fabric; a white two-piece with a tie-on top and a skirted bottom, which seemed strangely reminiscent to him of her Resurreccion form.

"You look nice," he said softly to her with a small smile.

She had not been expecting the compliment and it caused her to pause and fix her eyes on the ground, a shyness curling the corners of her mouth as her cheeks reddened. "Thank you," she whispered.

_Is she… Blushing? _Grimmjow thought incredulously. _I made Tia Hallibel blush?_ Something about the idea embarrassed him a little bit as well, and he glanced toward the water where the others were splashing and playing, so he didn't have to stare at Hallibel. "Are you going swimming?" he asked her, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, yes. I love the water. I've always wanted to see the ocean," she confided to him. "Are you coming too?"

Part of him wanted to go join the others in their fun, but something in him was wary, holding him back. "Nah, it's too hot out there in the sun," he complained, though he knew it was a weak excuse. "I'm just going to sit up here and watch."

She hesitated. He could see it in her eyes as she was torn in herself between the two choices, and it made him instantly regret his words, but he wasn't going back on them, no matter how much that look in her eyes broke his heart. It seemed like she was trying to share something with him, but he hadn't realized it until it was too late, and to turn back now would just seem disingenuous.

"Ok."

That was all she said. Not, "You're a liar." Not, "Get out there… Now!"

Just "Ok." And she gave him a little smile, and turned and swayed hypnotically toward the shore. He realized that it was not her Dominance that held his attention now, but rather her poise and grace. He watched as she untied the sarong and weighted it down in the beach with Ulquiorra's shoes as she strode out into the surf.

Grimmjow could not take his eyes off her as she slid into the ocean. Something about her demeanor made his heart ache. It was like watching someone coming home after being held captive for so long. He could see that this was where she belonged, in this water that was so much the same color as her eyes. She wore the sea with more ease than her own flesh, and he gave a sigh, seeing a peace wash over her that he thought nothing else would ever bring to her. He realized then that she had wanted to share that first moment with him, but he had blown it. He silently cursed himself, but didn't berate himself too much for it. He could tell that it meant so much more to her than it could ever possibly be to him, and he didn't want to ruin this moment of her coming home for the first time. It was enough for him to watch at a distance, and see her floating and swimming in the water, seeming as though there was no barrier between the salt water and her very soul. The two flowed as one, intermingling, renewing her as she stood there, completely alone, lost in her own world, unaware of the people surrounding her on all sides. It was almost sacred to behold, as though she had been reunited at long last with her source; a moment of Holy Communion between the creator and the created. She was breathtaking.

"What a fox." A hand clapped in congratulatory camaraderie on Grimmjow's shoulder, and he turned to see the bartended giving him an admiring smile. "You're a lucky man."

Grimmjow frowned sourly. "We're not together. She doesn't feel that way about me."

The bartender laughed. "Could have fooled the hell out of me…"

Grimmjow turned fully in his seat, eyeing the man skeptically. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The bartender grinned. "A girl doesn't give a guy a look like that unless she has feelings for him." Grimmjow opened his mouth to protest, but the man over-spoke him. "_Real _feelings, not just 'hopping-in-the-sack' feelings. Trust me; I see it all day long, I've become kind of a love expert."

Grimmjow regarded him with doubt, but something leapt in his chest at hearing this. "How… How do you know?"

"One thing," the man told him, drying a drinking glass with a hand towel, "Is that she didn't beg you to come with her."

"More like order," he muttered bitterly under his breath. "But why would that mean anything?" Grimmjow shrugged indifferently.

"She's secure, man." The bartender leveled a serious look at him. "Secure enough to not need to be clingy and think she needs you by her. I'd venture to guess you two have some history together?"

Flashbacks flickered vividly though the Sexta's mind from days long past, and he gave a distant, "Yeah."

The bartender nodded. "Don't let the moment pass you by, brother, is all I have to say. Sometimes people pass out of your life, and you never get a chance to make things right with them. A second chance like that is rare. Don't waste it."

The man turned to attend to other customers, but his words remained, carrying a weight far beyond his understanding, setting heavily on Grimmjow's shoulders. He gazed out toward the water and saw the others, now including Hallibel, splashing and playing in the ocean. Even Ulquiorra seemed to be allowing himself to enjoy it, just the tiniest little bit.

Hallibel had taken a break from the splashing and was floating along on the gentle waves when a shadow eclipsed the warm sun that had been shining down on her. She cracked open a green eye, and peered up to see Grimmjow, backlit and silhouetted against a cloudless expanse the exact color of his hair. He gazed down at her with eyes that seemed to be made of the very deepness of the sky itself. The smile that bloomed on her face tugged at his heart. _For me, _he thought. _She's smiling for me._

"Hi," Hallibel whispered up at him, sending a chill racing up his spine in spite of the warmth of the day.

"Hey." Grimmjow smiled back at her, his hands stuffed deeply in the pockets of his swim trunks, and he watched as she twisted effortlessly in the water to a standing position before him.

"Changed your mind?"

He stared down through the magnification of the crystal clear water, kicking a little at the sand with his bare foot. "You could say that…" He glanced up at her, his face still downcast. "More like a change of heart, I guess."

Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt a pang in her chest. _That look… _It transported her instantly back across the years, to the first moment that she knew he was the one. She turned away, flustered, and faced the open sea, hands outstretched as though welcoming the waves. "It's so vast," she breathed to him, changing the subject. "I had no idea how beautiful it could be."

"Me either." She looked quickly over at him, and flushed as she realized he hadn't been staring at the ocean as he had made his comment. Embarrassed by his compliments, she dove under the water, giving a strong kick that resulted in playful splash as she made her escape. "Hey!" Grimmjow laughed, wiping water from his face, wading after her in the waist-deep ocean.

They were both oblivious as four sets of eyes exchanged knowing glances and pleased smiles.

WWWWWWWWWWW

Included with the hotel accommodations for the contest that Orihime had won, there were tickets for a few tourist activities. "I booked us a whale-watching charter!" Orihime told the others enthusiastically over sandwiches, as they enjoyed a picnic-style lunch on the beach.

Matsumoto's eyes widened and she grabbed Gin by the shoulders, shaking him bodily as she squealed in girlish excitement. "That sounds so fun! Doesn't that sound fun, Gin?!"

Gin nodded in agreement, or at least appeared to be nodding, as he was still flopping around in her grip. "Sure, Rangiku-san! It sounds great!"

Grimmjow wasn't sure what it was all about, but the sparkle in Hallibel's eyes was all it took for him to jump on board.

After lunch, they went down to the dock where the boat was already waiting. Orihime handed over their passes, and they all boarded the craft and found seats as the vessel began to fill up with other sight-seers. As the boat pulled out of the dock, Grimmjow clutched at the railing that surrounded the deck. The bouncing and rocking of the mid-sized craft made his stomach uneasy as they began to pick up speed, headed for open water.

Excited cries exploded near the back of the boat, and Hallibel gripped Grimmjow's arm tightly, gasping. He was acutely aware of her leaning into him, and he followed her line of vision to see the most remarkable sight.

Great creatures were swimming in the wake of the boat, leaping out of the water, effortlessly keeping pace with them.

"They're magnificent," she murmured breathlessly. "What are they?"

"Orcas," Orihime told them, reading over a brochure.

"It is… A fish?" Ulquiorra asked, unsure as he stared hard at the massive animals.

"No, it says here that they are mammals. They breathe air, and nurse their young. They live in family groups called 'pods,'" Orihime read from the pamphlet.

"They care for their young?" Hallibel was amazed. The idea of some creature caring for its young was alien to her, but it sounded wonderful.

"Oh yes, cetaceans such as whales and dolphins have very strong familial ties," Gin affirmed.

They all watched the splendid beasts follow the boat for a long while, reveling in the strength and power of these gentle giants. Grimmjow was enjoying the whale watching immensely; not so much because of the activity itself, but more because of how much he saw Hallibel was enjoying herself. She was in utter awe, and it inspired a quiet reverence in Grimmjow as he observed her.

The boat lurched suddenly, and so did Grimmjow's stomach. He had been so absorbed in watching Hallibel and the whales, that he hadn't even realized until that moment that he was feeling sick. He pressed his palm to his brow and lowered his head, sweating profusely. Hallibel sensed the change, and as she turned to him, worry filled her. "Are you alright, Grimmjow?" she asked, leaning down, trying to see into his face.

He shook his head, eyes closed, panting heavily. "I don't feel good," he gasped, swallowing hard.

Hallibel pulled anxiously on the sleeve of Gin, who was seated next to her. "Gin, I think Grimmjow is sick…"

He and the others turned to see Grimmjow feeling very ill indeed. "Uh-oh, looks like he's got a touch of sea-sickness," Gin said, frowning. "Hang in there. We're almost back to the dock."

Grimmjow leaned into Hallibel and panted, eyes clenched shut in agony, stomach churning like the water beneath the propellers of the boat as the craft sped back to shore. They couldn't get there soon enough for him. His head was spinning, and Hallibel's bare arm, cooled by the wind as the boat raced across the water, felt glorious on his clammy temple. Her hand came up and caressed his cheek as she tried to comfort him. She hesitantly reached out with her Reitsu, and covered him softly in it.

He gasped, not expecting it here, with everyone else around, but this was not her pressing Reitsu of Dominance, as she had used in the past. This was a soothing, gentle stroking, and while it didn't do much to relieve his physical symptoms, it calmed his mind and soul, which did much to ease his distress. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder, pulling him to her. "You're going to be alright," she whispered, resting her head against his on her shoulder. He felt her humming something that he could not make out the melody to over the whine of the boat engine, but he knew what song it was that she sang, and he settled against her with a calming sigh.

As the boat docked and everyone unloaded, Grimmjow didn't want to move. He felt so at peace there in her arms, just sitting still, that he could almost forget the convulsions plaguing his stomach. "Grimmjow, come on," Hallibel whispered to him, guiding him gently at the shoulder.

With a groan and a stagger, he lurched unsteadily to his feet, leaning wearily on Hallibel. She guided him carefully off the boat. Fortunately, the hotel was just up the beach, and they didn't have far to go. "I've got some anti-nausea medicine in my bag in my room, I'll go grab it and bring it over," Orihime told them, running ahead to fetch the pills.

Hallibel opened the glass slider door of their room and led Grimmjow in, sitting with him on the edge of the bed, helping him to get situated, which took several minutes, since he had to move so slowly. A muted knock came at the door, and Hallibel strode to answer it. "Thank you," she said, and closed the door again, returning to Grimmjow's side. "Here, take these." She pressed two small pills into his palm, and searched around for a bottle of water to offer him.

He have her a dismissive wave, and quickly dry-swallowed them with a breath of relief, turning his cheek into the coolness of the pillow. Hallibel sat lightly on the edge of the bed and stroked some of his hair back from where sweat had matted it down to his forehead. He sighed and leaned into her touch, and gave a small smile, closing his eyes. His chest rose and fell laboriously as his brow furrowed, the room seeming to pitch and spin around him.

"I'm going to let you get some rest," Hallibel told him, but as she went to stand, he grabbed at her wrist.

"Please…" His eyes were pleading with her, almost panicked. He didn't want to seem desperate, but he truly was. He felt awful, and he didn't want to be left alone like this. Her presence was calming to him, and just having her there near him was calming. But, "Stay," was all he was able to get out.

She was overcome with pity and compassion, and nodded, sitting back down on the bed cross legged. Grimmjow sighed in relief again, and Hallibel was shocked a little when he adjusted his position to lay his head in her lap. She smiled as he closed his eyes, finding a sliver of peace there with her. She absently stroked his hair, running her tanned fingers through the spiky blue. She did the same unconsciously with her Reitsu, smoothing over his ragged, frantic energy with her own warm, golden, steady Spiritual Pressure. She did not press him with her Dominance as before, but only tenderly soothed him now with a tranquil, gentle touch.

Grimmjow made a noise then that caused her to stiffen. It was a breathy half-moan, and she wasn't sure if it was a sound of discomfort, or… The thought caused tingling warmness to pool in her lap, where his head was placed, now too close to her for comfort, and she felt awkward. She continued to stroke his hair though, and her fingers strayed to his ear, sliding over the folds of the skin. He made the sound again, unmistakable this time. _Pleasure. _She quivered, unsure what to do, and felt his Reitsu, calmed now, arching against hers delightfully. She leaned her head back against the wall and let out a sigh, closing her eyes, something giving way the smallest bit in her. Then he rubbed his head into her lap, causing her to gasp, suddenly much more uncomfortable than she had been just the moment before. He stilled again, and as she watched, she realized he had fallen into a light slumber. Hallibel smiled, and laid her hand on his chest, feeling the now-steady rise and fall of his breath. She shook her head a little and looked down at him with a soft-hearted sympathy.

WWWWWWWWWW

When Grimmjow awoke, he was shocked at the darkness. It must have been very late, because the full moon was high, shining its light through the sliding glass door. His mind, still muddled with sleep, began to clear, and he reached in a panic for Hallibel, but she was not there. Alarmed, he looked around the room but did not see her anywhere. The sliding glass door was open a crack though, and the long sheers billowed in the warm breeze. Grimmjow stood carefully, and was relieved to find that he felt fine, with no trace of the dreaded former 'sea-sickness' as Gin had called it. He went over to the glass door and looked through it.

Down on the beach, he could see a haunting figure crossing the sand. Hallibel was wearing her white sarong, walking slowly along the water line, like a ghost in the moonlight. Grimmjow slid open the door and went down to her. She smiled when she saw him, and stopped. "You're finally awake," she remarked. "I think that medicine Orihime gave you must have knocked you out."

Grimmjow smiled a little shyly, and rubbed at the back of his head. "Yeah, must have been." They were silent for a moment, looking out at the glistening silver on the water. "Out for a walk?"

Hallibel nodded, and sat down, patting the sand beside her, inviting Grimmjow to come sit with her. He did, and they looked out over the ocean together. She turned and stared mournfully down the long stretch of sand. "It reminds me of being home," she said, wistfully.

"Do you miss it?" Grimmjow asked, surprise in his tone.

Hallibel shrugged. "Sometimes. Not so much Hueco Mundo itself, you know. Not the fighting, or the hatred, or the…" She hesitated, and glanced up at him for a moment as she whispered, "…aloneness… But things here are complicated. There, it was so much more…"

"Simple?" Grimmjow offered.

Hallibel smiled, and ducked her head in agreement. "I think you understand in a way that the others don't." She sighed.

"Well… Gin was a Shinigami before he was resurrected, and Ulquiorra had that weird splitting thing going on, so really, you and I are the only regular Espada in this," Grimmjow told her.

"Hey," she protested, turning to face him more squarely, "That's something else! Why did you never tell me about what happened, with Ulquiorra and Orihime?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "I don't know. It didn't seem like it mattered. You never asked. I wasn't going to brag about it, it's not like I even finished the job..."

"I'm asking now," she prompted, pulling her legs up and crossing them.

Grimmjow gave Hallibel one of his skewed grins. "Uh, ok… Aizen sent Ulquiorra to kidnap Orihime, and while he was taking care of her, he started to fall for her." He looked down at the sand. "When he realized what was going on with Murcielago, that he was losing control, he knew Orihime was in danger, and he came to me to ask for help."

Hallibel shook her head. "But why you? I don't get it."

"Who else? I mean, c'mon… Think about it." Grimmjow counted the other Espada off on his fingers. "Aaroniero, Szayel, Zommari, Nnoitora… After that, everybody was either higher ranking, or obviously wouldn't have agreed to such a crazy idea."

"Why _did_ you agree, though?" Hallibel demanded. "I mean, Starrk wouldn't have bothered. It would have been too much effort to him. Baraggan was… Well…" She looked at him and they both said, "Baraggan!" together, laughing. "I know… And Yammy…"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "Ugh. What a douche. I mean, I'm a jerk, but he was a special case…"

Hallibel cocked her head to the side for a moment, gasping. "Oh my gosh… I just figured it out." Her eyes widened as he looked to her. "It's because you're an Omega."

"So what?" Grimmjow asked, a little tone of defense creeping into his voice.

"No, no, you don't understand…" She laid her hand on his arm in a motion of pacification. "The others wouldn't have been willing to do it. Alphas and Betas, they follow the rules, you know? But you've always sort of blazed your own path. You go your own way. It's…" She paused, glancing up at him, hesitating. "It's one of the qualities that first attracted… My attention."

He could hear the weight of the words she didn't speak… _The qualities that first attracted me to you. _It was painfully obvious now; he didn't know how he ever could have missed it before. It was a deflection, and he was thankful for it, in a way. It had seemed to him that lately, whenever things got uncomfortable between them, they just parted ways. But Grimmjow was enjoying this time with her here, in their own little private slice of Hueco Mundo, and he didn't want it to end yet.

"It was really Ulquiorra," he told her as she sat listening. "When he came and explained to me what was going on, he used his Solita Vista. I… I could actually _feel _how he felt about Orihime. I didn't understand it, but I knew it was something worth having. It kind of… I don't know how to explain it." He gave a weak laugh, and absently rubbed at his stomach, where his Hollow hole had previously been located.

"Filled an emptiness in you?"

Grimmjow shook his head. "No, not exactly… That was what I felt from Ulquiorra. I knew that's what it meant to him. But for me, it was like…" His eyes glistened in the pale light. "Do you know what a phoenix is?"

"The mythical fire bird, reborn from its own ashes?"

Grimmjow nodded. "It felt like the answer to me. Like the only possible satisfaction to my aspect, Destruction. And I know now, that the part of it I didn't understand, felt like Life."

"Do you think Murcielago was more powerful than us?" Hallibel asked suddenly. "Or would any of us have been able to achieve a Segunda Etapa, like Ulquiorra did?"

He looked at her, the moonlight tenderly caressing her face. "I don't know. It doesn't matter now, though. He was able to achieve that through overcoming his aspect of Death. I feel that in becoming human, I've fulfilled and overcome mine. This is as good as that, or better, really."

Hallibel's brow furrowed. "Mine was Sacrifice. I don't know how I'm supposed to fulfill that." She stared at him openly. _I don't want to sacrifice you, after all this time… Maybe it's selfish of me, but I've waited so long._

"Sacrifice doesn't have to be yourself, I don't think," Grimmjow said. "There are other kinds of sacrifices. Maybe you've already made it. Maybe it's in the past and behind you, and you can just live your life happily now."

They stared out over the water in silence for a while, and she moved closer to him, shivering as the wind gusted coolly. "Here," Grimmjow told her, positioning himself behind her, with his legs splayed to either side. He wrapped his arms around her and she sighed, leaning into his warmth, laying her hand on his arm. "This reminds me…" he began, and felt her chuckle. "What?"

"Me too," she said. They both laughed, then fell into a comfortable silence, listening to the waves washing against the sand, and each other breathing, each lost in their own memories of the past.

"What happened, Hallibel? Between us?"

She shook her head with a sigh. "I saw something in you, but you weren't ready. I knew I had to wait for the time to be right. So I just marked you." He felt her shudder. "It was so lonely, Grimmjow. You can't imagine what it was like. How hard… There were times…" He saw a tear streak down her cheek, and leaned his face against hers, breathing in her scent.

"I'm sorry," Grimmjow whispered. "You never told me."

She hitched a breath. "I know. It was stupid of me. I suppose I assumed you knew." She gave a bitter chuckle. "Omega dynamics, I guess. I should have known better. The Alpha dynamics are known instinctually by the Alphas, and most of the Betas know it as well. But Omegas play by their own rules. They're so far outside the box, half of them don't even know there _is _a box to be aware of. Sounds like what happened with us."

Grimmjow nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry, all the same. If I'd have known…"

"It wouldn't have made any difference." Hallibel shook her head. "Would you really have cared? Back then?"

"No. You're right." He let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm just sorry you had to go through it alone."

She smiled, looking back over her shoulder at him. "That's why I waited. Because of this. I could see that you weren't ready. You are now."

"Time," Grimmjow said. "That was your Sacrifice."

The realization hit Hallibel like a ton of bricks. She began to weep uncontrollably then, and turned to face Grimmjow. He wrapped her in his arms, holding her tight as sobs wracked her body. The years washed over her, and she cried in relief that her waiting was over.

She calmed finally, and he still held her tightly, nuzzling her soft hair. Hallibel let out a huge yawn. "Tch, these Gigai of ours are miserably weak…"

"Go to bed," Grimmjow insisted gently. She stood and looked at him questioningly. "I'll be along in a while," he assured her. She nodded, satisfied, and gave him a warm smile in parting as she headed back to the room.

Grimmjow sat alone on the sand for a long while, watching the moon cross the sky. He wondered if it was his resurrection to this Gigai that had prompted the change that Hallibel had been waiting for. There was certainly a tenderness between them which had never been there in the past. He did not feel the constant anger that he once did. She completed him, balanced him out, brought what he lacked, and together, they became something more.

He knew that he had changed, since he'd been resurrected. It had begun when Ulquiorra came to his room that day in Las Noches, asking for his help. When he'd fought with Ichigo at last, when he had thought he was dying, as he had slipped into unconsciousness his last thoughts had been of Hallibel. How he had longed in that moment for a chance to make things right with her. The bartender had been right earlier today; he needed to be sure not to waste this, or he would regret it for the rest of his mortal life.

When Grimmjow finally stood and returned to the room, he saw Hallibel was already asleep in the bed. He hesitated, and stood watching the moonlight illuminate her features. The softness of her face while lost in slumber, the steady rise and fall of her chest… These things felt very precious to him, in this moment. He pulled off his shirt, and crawled into the bed alongside her. She rustled slightly as the bed shifted, and she rolled over, laying her head on his shoulder. Grimmjow froze at first, but it felt so wonderful to have her lying there against him, he relaxed and snuggled up to her. She let out a sleepy sigh, and snaked her hand across his stomach and around his side, pulling herself close to him.

It was perfect.

WWWWWWWWWW

Grimmjow fell asleep quickly, and dreamed again of the orchard. Hallibel was walking through the cherry blossoms, as before, but he could see her face was no longer marred by her Hollow mask now. She made her way to the center of the garden, and the single peach tree that waited there. The peach was ripe now, the color of a sunrise, hanging heavily on the branch. She leaned in close and inhaled its heady scent, stroking the soft fuzz on its surface. As she did so, the fruit released from the branch and dropped into her waiting hand. The joyous smile she gave was delightful to behold. She held it up to her lips, and took a bite of its sun-warmed flesh. The juices ran down her chin and she gave a sigh of utter contentment, closing her eyes.

WWWWWWWWWW

When Grimmjow awoke, he found he was alone. The slider was ajar, and he saw the curtains rustling faintly. He rose, massaging his neck, which was still slightly kinked on the left side from the night he had spent on the couch. He knew where he would find Hallibel, and he made his way to the door.

The sky collected dark clouds overhead, the omen of a coming storm. Sure enough, there she was, out on the shore line, doing her exercises. How he loved to watch her. He slid open the door and crossed the swath of patchy sea grass to go down to the sand to be with her.

Hallibel greeted him with a smile, still stretching. "Good morning."

"Mmmm." Grimmjow gave a pleased sigh. "Good morning."

Her brow furrowed and she nodded at where he was still rubbing absently at his neck. "What's with that?"

He looked away, a flicker of shame skittering across his face. He didn't want to make her feel guilty, which he suspected she would if he told her it was from sleeping on the couch the night before, even though it was his own stubbornness that had been the cause. "It's nothing," he muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Here, stretch with me," she suggested, leaning sideways into a long arc.

Grimmjow's eyes widened in disbelief, and he laughed lightly. "Yeah, right."

Hallibel rolled her eyes and grinned at him. "Tch. Here," she said, and laid her hands on him. Electricity shot through Grimmjow with her unexpected touch as she went about moving and positioning his body. He allowed her to do so, more to please her than at any actual desire to participate in her exercises, but also in no small part because he was thoroughly enjoying the feel of her lithe fingers sliding over him. He could not hide the shudder that passed through him, and Hallibel paused for a moment, blushing a little at the realization of what he must have been thinking.

A few fat drops of rain pelted the two of them, and broke the intensity of the moment. Hallibel giggled, and wiped them away, but they were quickly followed by more. A booming crack of thunder ripped across the beach, and the sky began to dump on them by the bucketful. Hallibel let out a mirthful scream, and ran for the hotel room, Grimmjow right on her heels.

Although it couldn't have been more than twenty yards from the sand to the door, they were both thoroughly soaked by the time they made it, both breathless from laughter. Grimmjow attempted to wring out the corner of his shirt, grinning at Hallibel's laughter. He shrugged at the futility of the effort, and instead, just peeled the sopping wet garment off.

You could have cut the tension in the room with a knife. Hallibel looked away awkwardly, and Grimmjow silently cursed himself for making such a stupid, unthinking move as that. He muttered something under his breath about getting changed, and Hallibel hoisted her bag on her shoulder, taking it into the bathroom. She looked after him with sadness and longing in her eyes as he rummaged through his own bag, his back to her, searching for something dry to change into. Hallibel let out a sigh of frustration, and closed the door behind her.

After they had both gotten changed, Hallibel suggested they go get some food. Grimmjow was hungry, having slept through dinner last night, and agreed readily.

The continental breakfast offered in the lobby of the hotel was meager, but adequate. Grimmjow grabbed a muffin from a tray, and sat down, biting into it. Hallibel spotted a basket of fruit, and selected a large orange from amongst the offerings found there. She set it at the little table that Grimmjow had seated himself at, and went to get herself something to drink.

The orange began to roll, and Grimmjow shot out his left hand to catch the falling fruit before it could hit the floor. It hit the floor anyway though, as he froze in agony. "F…fuck!" he gasped, the wind knocked out of him.

Hallibel turned and when she saw him, rushed to his side, worry in her face. "What happened?"

He shut his eyes, trying to straighten his neck, letting out a cry of pain instead. "Ugh… My neck. I think I pulled something."

Hallibel picked up the orange, and stuffed it into the pocket of her hoodie. "Come on, come back to the room, I'll work it out for you."

Grimmjow followed her, his neck canted at an unnatural angle. She waved him toward the couch, and he sat gingerly. Hallibel climbed behind him, sitting on the back of the couch, straddling Grimmjow between her legs. "Lean back," she instructed him, and he complied. She pointed her elbow and dug it into his shoulder, eliciting a sharp whine of protest from him. "Sorry," she muttered apologetically as she continued to press into the area. "Try to relax."

He winced and panted, the pain causing him to see stars. "Damn these Gigai," he chuckled wryly. Hallibel let out a little laugh. "I'm going to have a word with that lousy shop keeper when we get back. Faulty merchandise." Grimmjow felt the muscle spasm release, and he gave a heavy sigh of relief. "Oh, wow… Thank you." Hallibel's strong hands began to massage firmly at his neck and shoulder, and Grimmjow instantly melted into the enclosure of her legs, a small moan escaping his lips as he leaned into her touch.

Hallibel bent her head down to his ear. "You probably shouldn't make noises like that," she muttered threateningly.

He moaned again, and electricity coursed through her, causing her to give a sharp gasp. He looked back slyly at her over his shoulder. "And why not?"

She stilled, her breath coming in quick pants as she saw the hunger in his eyes. "Be… because…" she breathed.

He moaned again, intentionally this time, and she couldn't stop herself from meeting his sounds with a small one of her own. He brought his lips close, brushing her ear. "But, it feels _so good_," he whispered.

Lust glazed her eyes, and she leaned down, her lips touching his neck. He sighed, welcoming the touch he had been aching for so long. Hot breaths passed over his throat as her tongue slid out between her lips, pressing against his flesh. He hissed, pressing back against her, his hands wandering, clutching at her legs to either side of him. She gasped, and grabbed his wrists, restraining them. "Don't," she warned, darkness flashing in her eyes. "Just be still. I've been trying to break my Alpha instinct, but don't push your luck."

Grimmjow chuckled, and rubbed his head against her cheek. A purring noise came from his throat, and she quivered under the strain of her self-restraint. Her lips opened wide, and she mouthed his throat, her teeth grazing. His vocalizations were too much for her though, and she bit him. Hard.

The cry he gave was less pain, and more surprise. She felt him lean into her, and the sound changed to one of pleasure. "Yes," he begged in a gasp. His purr gained a tinge of a growl, and she bit his shoulder, eliciting another cry of delight from him. He strained his wrists against her grasp, but she held him firmly, digging her nails in as she felt him give in to her.

Hallibel stood and repositioned herself, kneeling and straddling Grimmjow's hips. His eyes widened, and she gave him a fierce glare as she twisted his hair in her fingers and pulled back, exposing the front of his throat. She bit him low on the front of his neck, strangling his cries. She sat back and stared at him, trying to discern the submissive response she had been hoping for.

It was not there. Instead, she saw something that made her chest ache. There was hunger, but also sadness. She looked away, feeling ashamed that she had allowed her blind instincts to take over as they had. She knew she couldn't force herself on him like this, but she didn't know any other way.

Grimmjow's hand stroked her face, turning it softly back toward him. His lips met hers, and she shuddered at the soft brush of them. This gentle touch was unexpected from him, and it felt wonderful. Grimmjow sighed, and slid his tongue against hers, feeling her hands roaming his chest and shoulders. She had just reached for the hem of his shirt, when a knocking at the door interrupted her. They looked warily at each other, embarrassed a little at being caught in the middle of such a compromising position.

"Hallibel? Grimmjow? Are you up?" Orihime's voice called through the door. Grimmjow glanced down at his lap, and gave Hallibel one of his skewed grins and a nod. Her eyes widened and she stifled a snicker, swatting at his chest as she pushed back from the couch, standing.

"Yes, Orihime, just a moment," Hallibel said, going to the door. When she opened it, she saw that it was not only Orihime, but the others as well. Grimmjow crossed his legs instantly, not wanting anyone else to get any ideas about what had been going on, even if it was the truth of the matter.

"Since it's raining out, I scheduled us to go to the aquarium today! Did you two want to come with us?"

Hallibel looked to Grimmjow and smiled. "That sounds fun. What do you think?"

_I can think of something that would be more fun, _he thought, but nodded. "Sure. We'll meet you down at the van in a few minutes."


	3. Chapter 3

Grimmjow tried to hide his disappointment as he plodded along behind the others into the aquarium. Things had just started to get physical between him and Hallibel when they had been so rudely interrupted by the invitation to come participate in tourist activated with the others. Hallibel had seemed genuinely interested, so he had agreed, knowing full well that the moment had passed them by; the spell broken, for the time being.

She had been fierce with him. It was something Grimmjow hadn't been overly surprised at, but it had left him crestfallen nevertheless. He knew this Alpha instinct in her was deep-seated, not so much part of the Hollow she once was in the past, as much as her intrinsic self. He was finally beginning to gain a sense of this whole Alpha and Omega dynamic, and he wasn't sure he liked it. Maybe when he had still been a Hollow, it would have appealed to him to have been claimed by a powerful Espada such as Tia Hallibel. It would have been an honor, especially considering her high rank.

But here in the World of the Living, with human emotions coursing through his body, Grimmjow couldn't cause the notion to lay down. It troubled him to no end. _What if she can't let go of this idea to claim me? _he worried. He didn't want to end up as just some toy of hers, merely there to amuse her whims and meet her needs. He didn't want a mate. He wanted a partner, and he wanted it more than anything he had ever wanted before. He wished at that moment that he had an ability like Ulquiorra's Solita Vista, with which he might share to Hallibel what he was feeling, or in some way, confirm to his own heart that what she felt for him was the same.

Walls of glass displayed huge artificial reefs, with a rainbow of different fish. Hallibel was mesmerized, but when she glanced to Grimmjow to see if he was enjoying himself, she could see his smile was forced. _Damn him, why did he come if he wasn't interested? _she wondered silently, resolving to enjoy herself in spite of him.

It was easier said than done. The others were clearly having a fine time, and Hallibel would be just starting to get back into it when she would look at Grimmjow; quiet, brooding, fake smile, and completely sucking the fun out of her afternoon.

She let the others get ahead of them a bit, hanging back to have a moment alone to speak to him. "You didn't have to come, you know," she snapped.

Grimmjow looked surprised, and then wounded. "I… I just wanted to be with you. You looked like you really did want to come." Hallibel's face softened at this. "Like the whale watching the other day. I couldn't have cared less about them. I mean, it was kind of cool, I guess. But watching how excited you got… That's what I enjoyed the most."

Hallibel was conflicted. "I don't understand."

"What's there to understand?" he asked. "I want to be with you. What's so hard to see about that?"

"But you won't submit to me," she growled, and Grimmjow felt her Dominance flaring.

He looked sadly at her, and shook his head. "Don't. Please."

She took a deep breath, getting herself back under control. "I'm sorry," she whispered raggedly. "I'm not usually like this…"

"I know."

"You've stirred things up, Grimmjow." She gave him a dark glare. "I don't know how to fix this. You won't submit, and I don't know another way. I don't understand how to make things work now between us."

He gave a heavy sigh. "I don't know the answer either. I just know that's not what I want. It doesn't feel right to me."

"Hey, you guys! Come on!" Matsumoto called. "They have whales, and there's a show starting soon!"

Hallibel gave a sigh of resignation, and followed. At least seeing the whales again would be nice. She gave a wistful little smile, remembering the majestic creatures that had followed the boat for so long the day before.

She sat grudgingly beside Grimmjow near the back of the amphitheater as it began to fill up with spectators. Finally, an orca was released from somewhere, and swam into the large pool below. Her heart soared to see this beautiful, powerful creature.

But as the show progressed, Hallibel began to feel an ache in her heart. This was the same sort of animal from the day before, there was no mistaking that. But this was more like a ghost of the ones she had seen previously. No glory or nobility was to be found in this sad shade of a beast. It was truly little more than a glorified house pet; held captive, bribed with food and attention, forced to perform. The handlers seemed kind enough, and she was sure they were not blatantly abusing the animal… But there was something about this wild thing being enslaved and trapped that robbed it of its noble dignity, and shook her to her core.

Grimmjow had actually been watching the show, and was enjoying it to some small degree, when he saw Hallibel stand and head for the back of the auditorium. He was about to let her go, figuring maybe she needed to use the restroom, when he spotted a glimmer of something wet reflecting on her cheek. The rain had let up quite a bit, and the amphitheater where they were seated was covered, so he was sure it was unlikely to be a stray rain drop. He watched for a moment, but when he heard her stifle a sob, he stood. Gin looked questioningly at Grimmjow, but he gave the white-haired man a brisk wave of assurance, and followed Hallibel.

He found her slumped against the wall of the hallway, just out of sight of the others. Her arms were wrapped around her tightly, and she was weeping uncontrollably. "Hey," Grimmjow said softly, approaching her hesitantly.

Hallibel turned her face from him. "Go away, please. I don't want you to see me like this again."

Grimmjow ignored her hard words, and approached her, kneeling. "Not gonna happen."

She glared at him. "You're an asshole."

"It's one of my better qualities," he laughed. "Or so I've been told."

She was taken aback by this, and he sat down. "What do you want?"

"What's going on with you?" Grimmjow dropped the cavalier attitude, becoming completely transparent and bare before her in an instant. "Please, Hallibel… Talk to me."

She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her hooded sweatshirt, sighing. "That whale… It was so sad to see it penned up like that. The ones we saw yesterday were so beautiful, but this was just like a shadow of them…" She sniffled. "It's stupid. I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten in to me lately. All these emotions." She gestured futilely with her hand.

"I'll talk to the shop keeper when we get home," Grimmjow chuckled, standing and offering Hallibel a hand up. "Faulty merchandise."

Hallibel laughed, in spite of herself. He helped pull her to her feet, and she dusted herself off.

"Hey… I think I saw an ice cream shop near here on the drive over. Do you want to go get some ice cream with me?"

Hallibel stared at him. "You are so weird sometimes, do you know that?" she demanded. "Why ice cream, now of all times?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "I dunno. Just sounded good. Something to help take your mind off your troubles."

She gave an exasperated sigh. "Ok, lead on."

The rain had mostly relented, for the time being, and they walked out the exit of the aquarium. A few doors down, near where they had parked the van, they found the ice cream shop. Grimmjow looked over the offerings, unable to decide. "You pick," he told Hallibel.

She peered into the case. "Peach," she said. "With peach topping."

Grimmjow wondered if it was just a strange coincidence or something more, as he took his bowl and sat down at the small table across from her. He watched her take a bite of her ice cream, and the look on her face was exactly that from his dream. Sublime satisfaction. He mournfully wondered if he would ever be able to cause her to make that face. She noticed his sadness, and commented on it. "I thought we came here to cheer me up. Now it's you that needs the cheering. What's wrong?"

Grimmjow shook his head. "It's nothing."

"Talk to me." Her eyes were pleading, and something in him ached.

"This isn't a good place for it…" Grimmjow glanced around.

"There's nobody here," Hallibel pointed out. Even the shop keeper had gone in back. They were completely alone.

Grimmjow poked at the peaches on top of his ice cream, and pushed the bowl away from himself a bit. "It doesn't matter."

"Grimmjow…"

The softness in her voice made him glance up at her. She looked sad. "Maybe things can't work out between us. Would that be so horrible?"

He swallowed hard. "Yes."

His honesty was like a blade twisting in her chest. "I was trying to be sacrificial," she muttered with a hint of sarcasm, but there was no humor in his face.

"I just don't see how it can work. You have this Alpha thing, which I don't understand at all. It's not working for me. I just…" He sighed, exasperated.

"You just… What?" Hallibel demanded, when it became clear that he didn't intend to finish his sentence.

Grimmjow shook his head, tight lipped. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Dammit, Grimmjow, I'm trying," she hissed, throwing her spoon into her dish. "You could at least meet me in the middle. It's not easy for me either. I want this too. You know how long I've waited. You didn't even know it, all that time."

"I did," he whispered raggedly.

She stilled, her heart pounding in her ears. "What?..."

He looked away. "I knew. Not that you had marked me, or that you were an Alpha, or that I was an Omega…" He glanced at her, the tears welling heavily. "I knew you were the one, Hallibel. I've always known." Her face was unreadable. _Come too far now to turn back, _he thought with a labored sigh, and continued. "I mean, I guess I hoped. There was never anybody else. Not really. I mean, there were girls I was with, but…" He gazed deeply at her. "I never saw another queen at my side. You always felt so far out of my league, though. You never showed a shadow of interest, since the old days. Until two days ago." She opened her mouth to speak, but he wasn't done yet. "Why, Hallibel? You're selfish if you think you were the only one who suffered during that time. Do you think I didn't feel something was missing? I could never put my finger on it before now. In the Destruction of battle, my Aspect was sated, and I didn't feel the ache. To die a glorious death at the hand of a worthy opponent, that was the best I could have hoped for. And when that finally came, do you know what?" He gave her a hard stare. "I thought of you. _You_, Hallibel. Not Loly, not any of the others that I fooled around with over the years. Only you. And I hoped that maybe in the next life, that we'd have a chance to make things right. But here we are, and now, it's this." Grimmjow stood, and stormed out of the shop. He was so angry, he was on the verge of tears, and he would not let allow her the satisfaction of seeing him cry. He walked back to the van and got in the back, slamming the door. He found his music player in his jacket pocket, and plugged in his headphones, turning it up on full blast, closing his eyes.

It wasn't long before he heard the voices and laughing of the others, and he knew everyone was loading up. He glanced around and saw Hallibel had sat down in the back seat, as far from him as she could. She was staring despondently out the window, her jacket lying on the seat next to her. Hot tears streamed silently down her cheeks. He closed his eyes again, preparing for another night on the couch.

Back at the hotel, when Gin got out, Grimmjow clambered ungracefully over the seat and out the open door. He stomped back to the room, only to realize when he got there that Hallibel had the key card. He took a deep breath, leaning his head against the door, and tried to stuff the emotions back down that were threatening to spill out of his eyes.

Hands snaked around his waist, and he bristled at the feel of Hallibel leaning into his back, embracing him from behind. She brought her lips close to his ear, and whispered. "I'm sorry. I will try, if you will. It might not be easy, but I know it's worth the effort." She leaned her head against his shoulder blade. "Today, with the whales… I cried because I realized it was you. Everything that makes them beautiful and worthwhile is because of their wildness. Without their freedom, they are a pale shadow of themselves." She sighed. "I will not claim you. I don't want to own you anymore. I want you to be free, but I still want to be with you."

He turned to look at her, and she pressed her lips to his. He could taste the salt of her tears there, mixed with peach ice cream, and his tongue ran along hers in delicious relief. She pressed against him, but pulled back a little, realizing maybe she was being overly aggressive. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her tightly to him, his head spinning.

"Hallibel, you… OH!" They both looked up to see Matsumoto coming around the corner with Hallibel's sweatshirt in her hand. She stopped, a look of surprise on her face. "You forgot your jacket," she said, rummaging in the pocket of it and pulling out the key card. "I figured you might need this." She slid it through the lock and pushed the handle down, popping the door open, and dropping the jacket and card just inside the doorway. She gave a naughty grin to the both of them. "Honestly, it's about time, you two," she whispered with a knowing wink and a smirk. They grinned themselves, and looked at each other. Matsumoto reached around behind the doorknob, pulling out a 'Do Not Disturb' sign, and hung it on the outside of the knob. "I'll see you two tomorrow, check out is at eleven." She turned and waltzed happily down the hall, humming something cheerful as she went to her own room.

Grimmjow chucked, and looked deeply into Hallibel's eyes. She pushed the door open, and gestured for him to go inside. He understood the significance, and seriousness clouded his face. She let out a squeal as he scooped her up in his arms, and carried her across the threshold, bridal-style. "Together," he whispered as the door shut behind them.

WWWWWWWWWW

WWWWWWWWWW

Grimmjow sighed and stretched, cracking an eye at the first light of dawn that was spilling through the windows, illuminating Hallibel in a halo of pale hair. He gazed down at her, still locked in the blissful embrace of slumber, lying peacefully on his chest, and he gave a satisfied sigh. He wondered idly how many times they had gone last night. He'd stopped counting after three. It had been the wee-hours of the morning before they'd both been too tired to carry on, and fell into a couple of hours of much needed sleep. He brushed a few strands of hair from her eyes as she exhaled, nestling into him.

_What an unexpected turn of events_, he mused. Neither of them had quite known what to do with the development of his breakthrough of his own Reitsu of Dominance. Grimmjow wasn't sure what that would mean for the two of them, but he figured they'd work through it. He was never one to follow the rules anyway. But he knew without a doubt that after last night, he could never let her go again. Their fates were bonded, she had said, sealed by blood, one to the other, from this day forward. Grimmjow grinned and licked at the scabbed-over bite on his lower lip. She was a wildcat between the sheets, for sure, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

She had given her word that she wouldn't force him to submit, but her instinct had gotten the best of her. The strangest part of it all, was that when the moment finally came, he hadn't minded in the least. He had been more than willing to give in to her, and she had claimed him as she had set out to do from the beginning. He hadn't ended up a mindless slave to her, though, which had been his biggest point of contention regarding the matter. _ If she had been able to explain it more clearly from the beginning_, he thought, _I might not have fought her so hard… _He gave a little chuckle at that. Who was he kidding… It was part of his nature to be confrontational and defiant. He was sure they'd be having quite a few knock-down, drag-out brawls between them, if she allowed him to move into her apartment with her. One of his signature skewed grins stole across his face. _But that means make-up sex…_

"What is his majesty thinking about, hmm?" Hallibel asked with a sleepy smile, looking up at him from behind a mess of tousled bangs.

"Sex," he replied honestly, and she laughed.

"You're more rabbit than cat," she scolded him with a yawn, sitting up and straddling his hips, giving a big stretch. He admired her dark curves, running his fingers over her taut flesh hungrily.

"Well, you _do_ know about lions, don't you?" he teased.

"What _about_ lions?" She crossed her arms, meant to be a gesture of mock-sternness, but it only served to make her look more endearing to Grimmjow, and lift her ample bosom on display for him.

"When the females are in season," he explained, "A bout of mating can last for several days. They will copulate between twenty to forty times per day, frequently forgoing food during this time."

Hallibel's green eyes widened. "That is _not_ true," she insisted in disbelief.

Grimmjow cackled deviously. "I swear to you, it most assuredly is."

She flopped face-down into the bed beside his head. "_Kami," _she groaned, muffled by the pillow. "You'll break me, sire."

He drew his fingertips up her spine and she shivered pleasurably as she disentangled her legs from his, trying to stand. "Hey…" he protested playfully, snagging his arm around her waist and yanking her back onto the bed.

"Grimmjow!" she shrieked in laughter. "Let me go shower! I smell like the southward end of a north-bound yak!"

He buried his nose in her side, inhaling deeply. "Mmmm… You smell like…" He eyed her hungrily. "…us."

She glared at him, but her face softened as she chuckled. "Alright. One last time. But we need to leave in a few hours, so after that, you _have _to let me go shower!"

He pulled her back into the bed with him, grinning as he buried his face in her neck, biting her. "Hmmm… Only if I get to join you…"

WWWWWWWWWW

"Are they going to make it?" Orihime asked, worry creeping into her tone as she checked her watch yet again. It was already five past eleven, and she was concerned that the hotel was going to charge her if the two lovebirds didn't vacate the premises promptly. Everyone else was there, waiting for them.

"Here they come now," Ulquiorra said, nodding in the direction of the lobby. Hallibel squealed and skipped out of reach, swatting at his hand as Grimmjow made a grope for her backside, laughing. When they spotted the others waiting by the van, they both sobered immediately, standing upright and failing miserably at hiding their mischievous smirks.

"I can guess what was holding them up," Gin whispered to Matsumoto, and she giggled, smacking his shoulder.

"Shhh! Don't embarrass them, they'll hear you!" she scolded playfully.

Orihime wound her fingers in Ulquiorra's, smiling warmly at him. "I think it's sweet," she said. "I'm glad to see them so happy together." Ulquiorra nodded in agreement, and opened the door for her.

Matsumoto waved at them. "Oi! Good morning, you two! Over here!" They waved back, and hurried to the van. Grimmjow took Hallibel's bag with his own and climbed into the rear seat, tossing them both unceremoniously on top of the pile of luggage in the back. Hallibel followed behind him.

The others loaded in and got situated for the long drive home. "Is everyone wearing their safety restraints?" Ulquiorra asked as he finally started the van. All eyes scanned around the vehicle, and landed ultimately on Grimmjow and Hallibel.

The two unrestrained lovers lay in a reclined, spooning cuddle. His arms were tangled around her, face buried in her silky hair. Soft snores drifted from the both of them, already overtaken by sleep.

"Awww, the poor things," Matsumoto cooed. "They wore themselves out."

"Poor things?" Gin snickered. "I could hardly sleep _myself_ last night, for all the racket they were putting up. Had to go out in the hallway at nine o'clock and put a Kido seal on their room when the Reitsu started flying, didn't figure we needed Soul Society sending anyone here, poking around to investigate."

"That was prudent of you, Gin, thank you," Ulquiorra said as he pulled the van out of the parking lot, and onto the road.

"Well, it looks like they must have worked things out," Orihime said cheerily.

Matsumoto glanced back on the exhausted couple, and saw Grimmjow shift in his sleep, his hand reaching up to tangle his fingers in Hallibel's downy locks. She gave a soft smile from her dreams, and sighed peacefully, laying her hand over his.

"Yes, I would most certainly say so," Matsumoto agreed with a warm smile.

WWWWWWWWWW

A/N: Completed, at last! Thank you so much to everyone for the outpouring of support on this story! I've gotten a remarkable amount of feedback on this one, it seems like it was very well-liked! I will admit, I had my doubts at times; this wasn't an easy pairing to write, and there were moments I wanted to give up on them… But they managed to work it out quite well between themselves, I think. If you are reading the Fanfiction . net version of this, you may have noticed the double row of section breaks; that is not a typo, that is a missing lemon! This story is available in its full lemon version (which includes the claiming and consummation scene) over on Adult-FanFiction . org if you are 18+. It is listed under the same title and my pen name of KaiBlueOtaku.

Thank you all for reading, and for your reviews, they are so encouraging to me, whether it's the story I'm currently working on or another one, every review fans the flames of my writing, making me want to do more! Next up, since I don't have anything else planned, I'm doing a little one-shot UlquiHime Lemon/semi-PWP, which has been running around in the back of my head for a while, and will be available when it's ready, over on Adult-FanFiction. Thank you to Esaint Dracul, for sticking it out through this story; don't worry, my friend, I'll make it worth your while on the next one! ^.^


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